I enjoy communal prayer in Hebrew because it allows me to translate what I am saying in Hebrew with an interpretation that feels correct and appropriate for the moment in which I am living. I often say that every translation is an interpretation. In the case of Hebrew and of Hebrew prayers, I feel confident that the interpretations I create are in accordance with the spirit of my tradition, even though they are very different than the translations I find in prayerbooks. I like praying in Hebrew because it connects me with thousands of years of Jewish experience and connection with The Divine. The beauty of Hebrew is that, since we can reduce words to their roots, or sometimes use homonyms, the words of the established prayers can be interpreted in many different ways.
Every day we start the formal prayers with the morning blessings. In these blessings we acknowledge all the steps that happened (or were necessary) so one can be ready to relate to the world and the world’s Creator in a productive way. If I used the literal translation of these words to connect spiritually in the morning, I would be stumped. I would be mired by the limits imposed by other people’s readings of this text. My intellectual honesty would prevent me to utter words that do not reflect my understanding of society, my relationship to people of other faiths, or how I regard people with disabilities. A literal reading of these texts would lead a feeling of alienation, of a certainty that I did not belong. Translating the Hebrew prayers in a creative way keep the ancient words relevant, fresh, and as a source of connection. As an example, I translate the morning blessings in the following way:
We acknowledge You as the Source of all Blessings YHWH, our God Sovereign of the universe,
Who has given us resources to wake up and be productive,
Who created me in God’s image,
Who gave me an identity and a people,
Who gave me freedom to be who I am,
Who opens my eyes to the wonders of this world,
Who cares for the dignity of all bodies,
Who releases us from our self-imposed prisons,
Who helps us stand up and face our challenges with grace,
Who adjusts crooked paths so we can walk with our heads held high
Who provides us with natural resources
Who aids the people Israel with strength,
With harmony and beauty,
And strengthens the weary.
I acknowledge that You have given me the ability to be awake, aware of my blessings, and present in this moment.
This translation is deeply personal, and it is not literal. A literal translation would stand in the way of my relationship with God, and my relationship with my faith, creating a barrier that would erode both. I would not be able to say the words that are in these prayers without feeling uncomfortable, which would inevitably lead to abandoning the words of the prayers, and my connection with my faith. I fully believe that what I say is a faithful translation of the words, and this translation is the link that keeps me connected with the larger chain of my tradition. My interpretation opens possibilities, broaden access points to The Divine, and creates community.
Translations/interpretations of old texts are the way in which texts continue to be relevant to a society. They have to reflect what the words are in a way that expands community, which are inclusive, and that enhance people’s lives. This is the main reason the Supreme Court of the United States’ latest decisions are so painful to me. Although the decisions were predictable, they reflect an interpretation of the Constitution that will constrain communities and impoverish people’s lives. The decisions limit women’s agency in society and strip women of their right to make choices regarding their bodies, oppress young people of different religions as it allows their teachers and coaches (the people with power over a spot in a team) to use Christian prayer as an exclusionary practice, and curtails the ability of governmental agencies to ensure that our water is safe to drink, our air is safe to breathe, and that the produce of our land is safe to eat. These decisions are based on interpretations that do not take into consideration the opinion and the practices of the majority of Americans. These texts are in danger of becoming irrelevant to our society. With the Court’s interpretations handed down in the past days the words of the Constitution are limiting community, are exclusive, and are hindering people’s lives. I hope that soon we will see the day when these words will again be a source of pride and will reflect the will of the majority of the people of our country.